Separable fastener



Nov. 1, 1927.

F. s. CARR SEPARABLE FASTENER Filed Dec. 0, 1924 Inveniow:

,F l ed 4ST C an? MW f'l's Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,647,782 PATENT OFFICE;

FRED s. CARR, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CARR'FASTENER Corr PANY, or CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, .A CORPORATION or MAINE.

SEPARABLE FASTENER.

This invention aims to provide an im: proved separable fastener.

Inthe drawings, which illustrate a pre ferred and a modified form of my inven-.

tion H p Figure 1 is a front elevation of the preferred form of fastener;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2+2 of- Fig. 1, being partly in elevation;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig 2, but showing the stud and locking means in normal position and the socket in the position prior to contraction of the head of the stud;

Fig- 4 shows a further step in forcing 1 the socket over the head ofthe stud, the

stud having been contracted and the locking part having been forced into unlocked position by the contraction of the stud;

I Fig. 5 is a front elevation ofa modified form of fastener; and

Fig, 6 is a side elevation of the fastener shown in Fig. 5. p I

Referring tothe Figures 1 through 4 and to the preferred form of my invention, I

have shown a socket of the usual grommetv type including a front plate land clench plate 2 secured to a curtain 3. presenting a stud-receiving aperture; 4 for receiving the head of a contractible and expansible stud,

as illustrated'in Fig. 2. I i

The stud is pressed from ametal and presents a head 5, a neck'6, a

shank 7, a base 8, and a plurality of longitudinal slits 9 extending from the head 5.to.

the base Sand secured to the body 10of an automobile, or the like, bythe usual attach ing screw, 11 having ahexagonal head 12 secured to the base .8 of'the stud Thus I have provided a stud which is contractible when engaging the grommet and expansible when "engaged therewith.

WVhile the socket may be held on the stud by the resiliency of the stud itself I prefer single sheet of Application filed December 20, 1924. Serial No. 757,158.

the head of-the stud and a locking surface 16 normally spaced slightly away fromthe interior surface of the neck 6 of the stud, the

whole being normally. urged forward by a spring 17.

In securing the socket to the stud, the head. of the stud passes through the stud-receiving v; aperture 4 and the peripheral wall surroundingthe aperture contacts with the sloping part of the head of the stud, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, and as the socket is forced toward the neck (Fig 4c), the head contracts and those portions 18 of the head of the stud that surround the aperture 14 engage the cam shoulder 15 of the press/but ton and force the locking means against the pressure of the spring 17, away from the, interior surface of theneck of the stud thereby to permit contraction of the stud andengagement of the socket with the neck of the stud. When the socket passes to the. neck of the stud, the parts expand until the exterior surface of the neck engages the.pe-;

ripheral wall of the stud-receiving aperture 1, which is slightly less in diameter than the normal diameter of the neck. Thus the stud is maintained in a slightly contracted condition, so that the spring.17 may force the locking means toward its normal position and engage the locking surface 16 with the interior surface of the neck of the stud, thereby preventing. contractionof the stud.

When the parts are in the positions ,shown in, Fig. 2, the socket cannotv be separated fromthe stud by strain exerted on the curtain,because an upward or outward pull on;

the socket tends to crowd the socket over the head of the stud and as the pressure, so exerted upon the stud, is so remote from the icam'shoulder-engaging portions 18 that it is not sufficient to "displace the locking means. The tendency, therefore, is to increase the grip between the interior surface of the neck of the stud and the locking surface 16 of the locking means, thereby preventing further contraction of the stud and separation of the socket therefrom.

Separation of the socket from the stud may be effected very conveniently by grasping the lower edge of the curtain and exerting an outward pull thereon, at the same time pressing the press button with the thumb, thereby to disengage the locking surface 16 from the neck of the stud and permit contraction of the head of the stud.

Referring now to the modified form of my invention, as illustrated in Fig. 5 and 6, I have shown a socket substantially the same as shown in the preferred form of my invention, except that in this instance the stud-receiving aperture 19 is slightly elliptical. The stud in this instance is exactly the same as in the preferred form exceptthat resiliency is provided by two longitudinal slots. 20, 20 instead of four, as illustrated in the. preferred form. Thus this construction of stud requires an elliptical stud-receiving aperture in the socket because the head of the stud contracts only in one' direction and not equally in all directions.v The rest of the parts and the operations thereof are' the same as described relative to the preferred form of my invention.

Vhile I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that my invention is best defined in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a stud and socket fastener, a socket presenting a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by a wall of fixed dimensions, a cooperating stud having a contractible and expansible head for passage through said aperture, locking means carried by said stud and normally preventing substantial contraction of said stud and means operable by passage of said head through said aperture to force said locking means out of locking position relative to said-stud, thereby to permit engagement of the stud and socket.

2. In a stud and socket fastener, a socket presenting a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by awall of fixed dimensions, a cooperating stud having a contractible and expansible head for passage through said aperture, locking means carried by said stud and normally preventing substantial con.- traction'of said stud, means cooperating between said head and said wall when passing said head through said aperture to force said locking means out of locking position relative to said stud, thereby to permit engagement of the stud and socket, and a pressbutton manually operable to displace said locking means thereby permitting contraction of said head and disengagement of the socket and the stud.

3. In a stud and socket fastener, a socket presenting a stud-receiving aperture surrounded by a. wall of fixed dimensions, a cooperating stud having a contractible and expansible head for passage through said aperture, a neck for engagement with the wall surrounding said stud-receiving aperture, a shiftable member assembled within and carried by said stud and presenting a locking portion adjacent the neck ofthe stud normally permitting initial contraction of the head when passing through said aperture, while preventing contraction of said head and neck when the stud and socket are engaged, cam means operated by contraction of said head when said head engages said wall to pass through said aperture, thereby automatically to shift said locking portion out of locking engagement withsaid neck, a spring for moving said shiftable member into its normal position, and a press-button manually operable to move said shiftable member to permit separation of the socket from the stud; V

4. In a stud and socket fastener, a stud having a contractible and expansible socketengaging head, spring-pressed locking means. carried by said stud and normally preventing substantial contraction of said head, and means operable by engagement of said head with a socket of fixed dimensions for automat-ically displacing said locking means against the pressure of a spring, to permit contraction of said head and engagement with said socket.

5. A fastener stud including a contractible and expansible socket-engaging head, looking means carried by said stud and displaceable to permit contraction of said head, and means operable by the contraction of said head when forced into a socket. provided with a stud-engaging wall of fixed dimen-. -sions for automatically moving said locking means out of locking position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED s. CARR. 

